Power Within
by Whisperwill
Summary: Set during the Cell Saga. Trunks is staying with Goku and his family, training with them for the inevitable confrontation with the androids. But, unknown to the Saiyans, a new threat is about to emerge...
1. Snowballs

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Dragonball Z_. How could I? I'm not Japanese. :D I'm not making money off this story. How could I? Akira Toriyama's the brains behind this outfit.**

**A/N: Originally completed in January, 2009, and exclusively written as a Christmas present for my twin sister. (We exchanged presents in January that year.) Set during the Cell Saga, before Cell arrives. So, how did I do? Is everyone in character? Review, please!**

**The long line between blocks of text represents time change, location change, or change in point of view.**

**Warning for length. Yep, this one's pretty long.**

**Rated T for violence.**

**Power Within**

"Twee-eet! Twee-eet!" The tiny mechanical bird atop the alarm clock chirped incessantly. Gohan's hand poked out from beneath the covers and tapped the correct button, bringing the annoying peeps to an abrupt halt. The ten-year-old boy threw back the blankets and sat up, yawning. He slipped out of bed and put on his orange gi. After pulling his wild black hair into a rough ponytail, he padded out of his bedroom.

Gohan's father Goku was an extremely sound sleeper, and Gohan had made it his habit to wake him up each morning. Though Goku had an alarm clock, he rarely remembered to set it; besides, he usually slept right through the ringing anyway. Gohan pushed open his parents' bedroom door to find his father lying flat on his back in bed, clad only in a pair of white boxers and snoring loudly. Gohan grinned and tiptoed closer. Peering at Goku's sprawled form, he wondered if his father was really asleep—after all, the snoring sounded awfully loud. On the other hand, Goku usually snored anyway. Weighing the options on a mental scale, Gohan finally decided that his father was truly in slumbering mode and moved to shake him awake.

"Gotcha!" Goku cried gleefully. In a lightning-quick move, his arm shot out and grabbed Gohan around the waist. Gohan squealed with laughter as his father tickled him playfully. He squirmed in an effort to free himself, even though he knew it was futile: Goku was the strongest being on the planet Earth—and maybe even the entire galaxy.

"GOHAN! GOKU! STOP FOOLING AROUND AND _GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" _came an angry yell from below them. Goku immediately released his son and leaped lightly out of bed, scurrying around in search of his clothes.

"Better hurry," Gohan warned him, trotting to the door. "Mom sounds pretty mad..."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Goku joked, slipping on his martial arts clothing with movements almost too fast to be seen. Gohan exited the room and hurried downstairs. Goku slid down the banister behind him, skillfully leaping off at the bottom of the stairs.

They met up at the table, where Trunks was already sitting. Chi-Chi set before them plate after plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and toast—one trademark of the Saiyans was their ability to consume vast amounts of food. They began eating with eager relish. Chi-Chi watched them for a few moments, then began shouting again.

"I slave all morning to cook enough food to feed an army, and you aren't even stopping to taste it! You're inhaling it! You've got no manners at all, none of you, always fighting all the time, it's nothing but 'training' this, and 'training' that. There's more to life than martial arts, you know!"

Goku winked at Gohan and Trunks, pushed back his chair, and stood up. He walked calmly over to his wife, who was still raging on.

"—rude, selfish, you don't give a thought to the work I put into this! Can't I at _least _get a thank-you?"

Goku wrapped his muscular arms around her and planted a kiss on her lips. Chi-Chi, taken by surprise, went rigid and limp again in the space of a moment. After a few seconds, Goku pulled away.

"Thank-you," he said simply. Chi-Chi blushed deeply, a delighted smile on her face as she returned to the sink. Goku slipped back into his seat, grinning at the boys. Successfully smothering their laughter, Gohan and Trunks went back to eating.

Once they had finished, Chi-Chi's fiery temper reasserted itself, and she demanded that they help her wash dishes. However, Goku, not knowing his own strength, broke two plates by scrubbing too hard. It wasn't long before Chi-Chi angrily shooed them outside.

It had snowed the night before, and the ground was thickly blanketed with the feathery flakes. Goku let out a whoop, pumping his fist into the air and declaring, "Snowball fight!"

"Dad, don't you think we should be training?" Gohan reminded him.

"Oh, come on—we can take a day off!" Goku cried enthusiastically.

"Besides," said Trunks with a grin, "this _is _training. We can improve our aim, strategy, charging, retreating, fort-building, snowball-making. . ."

Gohan laughed and quickly agreed, not needing much convincing.

"First, rules," Goku announced. "Every man for himself. No sparring or throwing chi—only snowballs allowed. Let's see . . .you can make forts or snowball stashes, and you win by getting your opponent to surrender. Sound good?" Trunks and Gohan nodded in agreement. "Great!" Goku affirmed. They trotted back into the house to get on mittens, hats, and coats, and were soon outdoors once more.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" came the cry from the three Saiyans. Goku sprang away from them in a scattering of snow. Scooping up a handful of snow on the fly, he packed it into a ball and threw it expertly at Trunks. The violet-haired boy took to the air, swerving and diving to avoid Goku's next attacks. Before Gohan knew what was going on, he was peppered with snowballs as well, and landed on his back. He pushed himself to his feet.

"I don't know which one of you threw those, but you're _both _gonna pay!" he promised with a grin. He scooped up an armful of fluffy snow and rushed at his father with a shout.

* * *

><p>Trunks dived behind a snowbank just in time to escape a barrage of snow from Goku. He poked his head around his protective wall just in time to get a faceful of slush. Goku hooted with laughter from the protection of his fort.<p>

"Oh, yeah?" Trunks called challengingly, rubbing his face clean. "Well, see if you can handle _this_!" He hefted a snow boulder he'd made earlier, and shot at Goku's fort. He was moving too fast to be seen, and Goku, who didn't react quickly enough when Trunks hurled the frozen missile at him, was buried under the frozen mass. Trunks grinned and zoomed up to the eaves of the Saiyan dwelling, breaking off an icicle roughly the size of his sword. He flew back toward his target, holding the icicle not unlike a baseball bat. Goku was still recovering from the previous deluge of snow—he was completely unaware of the coming attack. Trunks smirked, raised his weapon, and struck the black-haired Saiyan on the back of the head. Goku's screech mingled with the crack of the icicle. He collapsed into the snow like a felled tree. Trunks landed neatly, tossing the broken chunk of ice away. Goku moaned and sat up, massaging his head.

"Ooooh, ow! Who said ice was allowed?" he asked indignantly.

"Who said it wasn't?" Trunks pointed out smugly. "You just won't admit that I got the best of you."

"We'll see who gets the best of who!" Goku shouted, leaping up and tackling Trunks. They wrestled for a bit in the snow, before breaking apart and rapidly firing snowballs at one another. Their movements were smooth—whirling, leaping, and throwing with speed far superior to any mere earthling. Goku eventually got the upper hand, steadily forcing Trunks to back up. A well-aimed shot hit Trunks squarely on the jaw, throwing him back. Goku flew at him with a mock war cry, and Trunks chose to retreat. He flew into the nearby woods, dividing his focus between weaving through the trees and avoiding Goku's snowball assault from behind. It was then, as he came into a clearing, that he saw it.

A glowing energy blast sliced through the sky.


	2. Submerged

Gohan had separated from the others in the hope of putting his secret plan into action. He had sneaked a suitable distance away before beginning construction. It only took him a few minutes to create a huge pile of snowballs. He made sure they were hidden behind a rise before heading back. His plan was to lead Goku and Trunks here, dive into his secret snowball stash, and come up firing madly. He grinned in anticipation. They'd never know what hit them!

As he flew, he spotted a sizeable body of water to his left—Sapphire Lake.

"All right!" he cheered aloud. "Time for some ice-skating." He came down on the frozen surface, his momentum speeding him along for a good distance.

"Whee!" he shouted gleefully before turning and sliding again. On the opposite bank, he hopped out onto the ground, turned, and sprinted in earnest. He became a mere blur of motion once he reached the ice. He was enjoying himself so much, he didn't notice the dark shadow under the ice coming up behind him.

_Krak!_ The ice split suddenly beneath his feet. He barely had time to register puzzlement, when he was pulled forcibly into the water. His scream was abruptly cut off as his head went under.

He went numb, paralyzed by the intense cold. His only awareness for long seconds was of pain at his ankle, where the something holding him continued to steadily draw him to the lake's bottom. In the back of his mind, his Saiyan reflexes urged him to action. Inch by inch, he extended his hand, fingers spread. He concentrated, his brain unwillingly searching for any chi his freezing body could spare. Energy sluggishly made its way up to his palm, lighting up his determined face. Shutting his eyes, he shoved it upward.

Though it had only taken him a few seconds, his time was quickly running out. . .

* * *

><p>Trunks wore a bemused frown. With a growing sense of unease in his voice, he asked slowly, "Did you see that energy blast? Gohan must have thrown it, but he knows it's against the rules. . ."<p>

"I saw it, too," Goku replied grimly. His brows knit with concentration. "I can sense his energy signal—but it's dwindling." They didn't waste any more time. In unison, the two Saiyans powered up, white energy flowing around them. They leaped into the air, quickly disappearing as they moved faster than the speed of sound.

Above the ice-covered surface of Sapphire Lake, their bodies reappeared as they came to an abrupt stop.

"He's in the water!" Trunks cried, pointing at the jagged hole in the ice. Goku didn't need telling twice. Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and dived.

The dark, icy water shocked him so much that most of the breath left his lungs, bubbling out around him. A dim splash sounded as Trunks entered the water beside him. He grabbed the teenager's arm, pointing to a bubble trail leading downward. Trunks gave a nod, and they descended, their bodies quickly growing stiff as the cold got colder. Through the blackness, Goku could just make out a pair of glowing green eyes. Even in that dim light, his Saiyan vision revealed all he needed to see. A creature of some sort held his son by the throat. He sped up, forming an energy ball in his hand. With an unheard cry of fury, he released it.

But the sinuous thing . . ._whatever _it was . . .released Gohan and moved lithely out of the way. It had an advantage over the Saiyans: while they were clumsy and half-frozen with cold, it didn't seem bothered at all. It moved through the water with the ease of a fish. Goku lost sight of it, and the next second, he suffered a mighty blow to the head. He blacked out immediately.

* * *

><p>Trunks unsheathed his sword and approached the beast. It circled around him with easy grace. The glittering eyes smirked at him, and he angrily swung his blade. But the creature moved smoothly out of the way, and struck.<p>

Long, sharp claws ripped a deep gash in Trunks's upper arm. Trunks nearly dropped his sword at the sudden pain, bubbles blossoming around him as he screamed. He quickly gripped the wound with his free hand, slowing the blood flow. His head began to pound, begging for oxygen. If he didn't get to the surface soon. . .

He sheathed his sword and swam clumsily to rescue Gohan, hoping he would have enough time to save Goku as well.

But Gohan, apparently, had other plans. Trunks stopped and stared—Gohan's entire body was suddenly glowing! The light illuminated a steely resolve on the boy's face. Trunks was still trying to sort out this confusing information in his head, when Gohan cupped a shining ball of energy in his hand. Trunks gazed in awe as the previously helpless boy released his golden chi attack. Power streamed freely from his hand—there seemed to be no limit to the flow of energy. It slammed into their shadowy enemy. The fish-like being was thrown back, and immediately began sinking into the lake's depths. Before Trunks knew what was happening, Gohan grabbed both his arm and Goku's, and shot towards the surface. In an instant, they were out of the water. Gasping for air, Trunks glanced at Gohan, whose mysterious power was rapidly dissipating. The light faded, and Gohan fell limply to the ice, unconscious. Trunks hurried over to Goku, shaking him gently.

* * *

><p>In the back of his mind, Goku could hear a voice calling him. Vaguely he thought of Chi-Chi . . .was she getting after him again? His head was pounding, but he forced himself to listen. It sounded like . . .<p>

"Goku! Goku, wake up!"

Goku opened his eyes. A face swam into focus above him . . .Trunks. The adolescent's expression of fear dissolved into relief. Goku pushed himself painfully upright and immediately began coughing, expelling the water his lungs had taken earlier. When he could breathe again, he looked around in confusion.

"Trunks? What happened? Where's—?" He stopped as he spotted his son lying motionless nearby.

"Gohan!" he cried fearfully. His strength returning to him in a rush, he leaped up and hurried to his son.

"It's okay—he's alive," Trunks assured him quickly. "But we have to get back soon. His body can't take much more of this cold."

Goku nodded, scooped Gohan up, and took to the sky, hugging his son close to keep them both warm.


	3. Recovery

Goku landed on his front step, holding Gohan in the crook of his arm. Trunks touched down beside him. Before he could even knock, the door flew open to reveal a tight-lipped Chi-Chi, who looked as though she had expected something like this to happen. Fear and anger were apparent on her face, but she said nothing, wordlessly standing back to let them in.

Once they were inside, she threw more logs on the fire, brought an armful of blankets from the closet, and left them alone to get out of their wet clothes. Goku gently undressed his son, while Trunks slipped off his own icy garments. Once he and Gohan were wrapped in the snug blankets and seated before the fire, Goku hurried to the kitchen. A moment later, Chi-Chi's angry voice was heard, lecturing her husband.

Gohan stirred in Trunks's arms. He awoke and sat up, baffled.

"What happened?" he asked blankly. "Did we win?"

"Not now," Trunks murmured to him. He knew that this wasn't the right time to discuss their battle. "I'll tell you about it later." Gohan looked as though he were about to ask more questions, but he was interrupted by Goku's arrival.

The older Saiyan was holding a steaming frying pan in one hand. He stooped down next to Trunks, running his finger around the bottom of the pan as he did so.

"Here, Gohan, this should help," he said. He smeared the green gunk on the tip of his finger over the tiny punctures on his son's ankle. Gohan grimaced in pain and slid out of Trunks's arms to stand closer to the fire.

"You should give some to Trunks, too," he suggested as he edged closer to the comfort of the crackling flames.

Chi-Chi strode into the room with a scowl, saying firmly, "Oh, no you don't." She snatched the frying pan from her husband and took Trunks by the arm, leading him into a nearby bathroom. "You're going to get out of those wet clothes before you do anything else," she called over her shoulder. Goku's only reply was a loud sneeze.

In the bathroom, Chi-Chi pulled Trunks's hand away from his forearm, where he had been pressing his hand against his wound. Her eyes softened with pity, and she gently wiped the blood away with a cloth before smearing more of the softened leaf mush around the slash and wrapping it in bandages.

"What happened out there?" she asked sharply when she'd finished. Trunks hitched the blanket around his shoulders and lied uncomfortably,

"We were fishing, and we hooked a really big one that cut me with one of its fins." He walked back out to the fireplace to avoid any more questioning, even as she called after him disbelievingly,

"_Fishing_? In _this_ weather?"

* * *

><p>The three of them spent the next few hours in front of the fire, warming themselves up until their clothes were dry. None of them dared to discuss what had happened earlier, for fear that Chi-Chi might overhear. They donned their clothes again once they had dried out completely. Wonderful smells drifted from the kitchen, tantalizing them as Chi-Chi cooked up another huge meal, but fate was not about to let supper take place. The doorbell chimed as Goku pulled on the second of his weighted wristbands.<p>

Piccolo stood at the door. "We need to talk," he said tersely. Goku took in the troubled frown on his friend's face and nodded.

"Come on, Trunks, Gohan. You should hear this, too," he said. Raising his voice, he called, "Be back in a little while, Chi-Chi!" He shut the door behind them just as Chi-Chi came running out of the kitchen. "I don't believe it!" she fumed. "You're going out _again_, after what just happened?" She threw open the door and yelled, "What about dinner?"

But by that time, all she could make out were four specks on the horizon.


	4. Confrontation

The four of them landed on a rocky outcropping with a lovely view of the sunset taking place in the valley below. Goku wasted no time in filling Piccolo in on what had taken place earlier that day.

". . . so we flew home and dried off. We were just getting ready for dinner when you showed up," Goku finished with a slightly mournful tone.

"I think we have bigger things to worry about than your next meal," Piccolo said dryly. Turning to Trunks, he asked, "Was that thing in the lake one of the androids?"

Trunks shook his head slowly. "I've been thinking about that. I didn't get a good look at it, but I don't think it could have been an android. The androids I know aren't the type to hide at the bottom of a lake." He scowled. "They prefer to destroy cities and kill innocent people."

"Then what is it?" Goku asked.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, we've got to stop it before it hurts anyone else," Trunks declared.

"But we don't even know what it wants," Gohan spoke up for the first time. "How do we know it's not just lost, or scared?"

"Whatever it may want, nothing justifies hurting innocent people," Goku said fiercely.

"Gohan may be right," Piccolo pointed out thoughtfully. "We have to defend this planet if anything threatens it," he acknowledged firmly, "but that doesn't mean we should be attacking without knowing what we're up against. We don't want to make any enemies because of our actions, especially enemies that could threaten all of Earth."

"A wise policy," an unfamiliar voice replied. The four of them whirled around, and their eyes widened at the sight of a sinuous creature before them. It was covered in tiny scales that were of such a deep violet color that they were almost black. Though it seemed comfortable perched on its two ostrich-like legs, the webbed hands and feet implied a watery habitat. Thin, dainty white tentacles framed the sides of its face, and the green eyes glinted in a menacing—and familiar—way.

"You're the one that tried to kill Gohan!" exclaimed Goku furiously. Before he could leap toward the creature, Piccolo grabbed his arm.

"Ask questions first; attack later," the Namekian reminded him in an undertone. Addressing the eel-like thing in front of them, he said, "Why did you attack them this morning?"

The thing shrugged. "I was hungry."

"So you were planning to _eat_ him?" Goku shouted, growing increasingly angrier.

"Do you find it so surprising?" The creature was smirking. "Fish are so easy to catch. Earthlings, too—especially little ones. The little male and his brother were tasty, but it was no challenge to drown them. I could feel that the boy was not from Earth—he was too powerful to be. So I thought I'd try for a meal that presented more challenge." Its lips, so like a fish's, curled with displeasure. "But I underestimated his power."

"You mean . . . you killed two children?" Trunks's question came out in a stunned whisper.

"Earthlings taste _so_ much better than fish," the being said with a sharp-toothed grin. "And you four are like me: you are not from this planet. Your blood is richer, sweeter even than that of the Earthlings." It licked its lips. By now the three Saiyans and the Namekian were glaring at it with hatred and disgust. "But perhaps my words make you angry," the creature continued lightly. "Perhaps you want to kill me yourselves, and rid your adoptive home of my presence." Its eyes glinted with bloodlust. "Attack me, then. I will slaughter you all and feast on your flesh."


	5. Out of Commission

"Not while I'm around!" Goku shouted. He leaped forward, fist extended, closely followed by Piccolo, Gohan, and Trunks. The sudden rush apparently caught the creature by surprise: Goku's fist connected squarely with its jaw and sent it flying limply through the air. As its body crashed to the ground, the four of them surrounded it.

"Four against one isn't fair," it hissed, baring its teeth at them spitefully and wiping a trickle of blood from the side of its mouth.

"Did you ever play fair when you were killing little children?" Trunks retorted, his voice quivering with anger.

"You misunderstand me," the creature replied. It shot each of them a glance out of narrowed eyes. "I merely meant that I must change the odds in my favor." Its gaze lingered on Gohan before it turned abruptly and hurled itself at Trunks. The teenage Saiyan stumbled backward for a moment as the long claws sliced into his forehead. Blinded by the blood running into his eyes, Trunks nonetheless found his footing quickly. He struck out with a barrage of punches and, although still unable to see, managed to ram repeatedly into his opponent's stomach. The creature grunted with pain and fell, grabbing Trunks by the hair and dragging him down, as well. They rolled over and over in the dust, still struggling. As they came close to a nearby river, the snakelike being seemed to gain energy. With a mighty heave, it fastened its thin arms around Trunks, pulled him upright, and half stumbled, half dove, into the rushing water.

"It's trying to drown him!" Gohan cried out in fear.

"We're not gonna let that happen," Guku promised. He threw himself into the water, following the rapidly moving shadow of the creature as it dragged Trunks downstream.

"That thing swims too quickly for him to catch it," Piccolo told Gohan as he took off into the air. "We'll meet it where the river joins the lake." Gohan nodded grimly and followed his former mentor.

As fast as they flew, the creature swam faster. It burst out of the water ahead of them, attached to Trunks by what looked like thin ropes. The Saiyan was screaming with pain. It was hard to tell which of them was dragging the other through the air: one moment, Trunks was yanking at the ropes like a hooked fish; the next moment, the beast was pulling him smoothly through the skies.

Gohan let out an involuntary gasp and recoiled as he and Piccolo got close. The tentacles on the being's head had elongated into long white tendrils—tendrils that were buried in Trunks's mouth and nostrils. Trunks was thrashing and struggling to get free. His screams were muffled by the numerous tendrils filling his mouth.

"Let him go!" Gohan shouted, flying forward like a bullet. He was forced to stop short, however, when the creature jerked its tentacles and maneuvered Trunks right in front of itself, using him as a shield.

"Stop it!" Gohan screamed, on the verge of tears. The creature sneered at him. Suddenly a sizzling blast of energy dazzled Gohan. He heard the beast's scream mingle with Trunks's. When the light vanished, Gohan saw that a dripping-wet Goku stood below on the ground. Next to him, Trunks continued to convulse. Piccolo, whose hand was still extended from the energy blast he'd just thrown, wore a look of satisfaction. The creature now had few tentacles on its face that were not severed and bleeding. It gnashed its sharp teeth in pain and fury.

"What have you done?" it screeched.

Piccolo smirked. "I've evened the odds." With a roar, he rushed at the beast, who turned tail and pelted in the opposite direction. Gohan was torn for a moment, wondering if he should join in the fight or help his father. As the beast dropped neatly into the water with Piccolo just behind, Gohan decided that he couldn't wait any longer to see if Trunks was all right. He headed for the ground at top speed, his stomach taut with fear for his friend.

"Will he be okay?" he asked as his boots touched the ground. Goku shook his head helplessly from where he knelt next to the prone warrior, pulling the last few lifeless tendrils from the teenager's mouth.

"I don't know, son," he admitted in an undertone. He now had a firm grip on Trunks's shoulders to restrain the adolescent from moving too much. Trunks was still writhing as much as he was allowed, but his movements were gradually getting weaker. The normally tanned face was deathly pale, and green liquid trickled grotesquely from his mouth and nose.

"H-he's _gotta_ be all right. . . he can't die, can he?" Gohan's voice shook as he asked a question that was more of a plea.

Goku again shook his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. He opened his mouth to assuage his son's fears, but was interrupted by an impatient growl from above.

"All of you are Saiyans, yet not one of you has any pride." The voice was unmistakably Vegeta's. The prince landed among them, his white-gloved hands clenched into fists.

"Fawning over a fallen warrior," he spat contemptuously. "At least battle to _avenge_ him, instead sitting here like a bunch of mice."

"How can you _talk_ like that?" Goku asked, his voice rising in anger as he stood up and glared at Vegeta. "He could _die_!" His statement was chillingly true: Trunks had finally stopped moving and lay on the ground, clutching his stomach and moaning softly. Gohan whimpered.

Vegeta, his face a mask of scorn, reached down swiftly and hauled a barely-conscious Trunks upright by the collar.

"Are you a Saiyan or an infant?" he asked in disgust. That said, he drew back his fist and punched the teenager in the gut.

Trunks's eyes shot wide open at the sudden pain. As Vegeta released him and stepped away, the purple-haired Saiyan fell to his hands and knees and vomited. The green liquid that had been a mere trickle before now gushed from his mouth in abundance. As the vile stuff hit the ground, it began to smoke sluggishly and eat away at the rock. Gohan shuddered with revulsion; he began to think he might be sick himself. Vegeta was watching stonily, his arms folded. Finally, Trunks stopped retching and collapsed onto his side, exhausted.

Vegeta grinned rather wickedly. "No one's dying here." Without another word, he flew off in the direction of the fighting. Goku shook his head in amazement, then helped Trunks gently to his feet, letting the younger boy's arm drape across his shoulders for support.

"Trunks, are you all right?" he asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah," Trunks murmured. His eyelids still drooped, but the color was returning to his face. "I'm okay."

Gohan couldn't resist giving a little whoop of exultation. His father smiled at him.

"Listen, son, I'm going to take Trunks up to Kami's Lookout so they can take care of him. Grab hold of my arm." Gohan did as he was told. With one arm around Trunks, his father squatted down so that Gohan could keep hold of him while he lifted his first two fingers to his forehead. In an instant the world around them vanished, as Goku transported them all using Instant Transmission.

Just as suddenly, they were standing on the polished tiles of Kami's Lookout. Mr. Popo blinked at them, more out of recognition than surprise. Goku quickly explained the situation to him. Mr. Popo nodded solemnly.

"Of course we'll take care of him for you. Don't worry; he'll be in good hands." Goku shifted Trunks so that the weakened Saiyan could lean on Mr. Popo.

"Who would have thought that my dad would save me before I was even born?" he muttered for Goku's ears alone. The two Saiyans shared a grin, and Goku laughed.

"Get some rest, now," he advised Trunks more seriously, although the gleam of humor remained in his black eyes. He grabbed his son's wrist and pressed his fingers to his head. They vanished once more.


	6. Arrivals and Departures

As soon as they reappeared at the site of the battle—where the pool of vomit was starting to carve its own pit into the ground—Goku raked his gaze back and forth, searching for energy signals.

"That's strange," he murmured. "There's Vegeta and Piccolo, and the _thing_ they're fighting, but there are three more, coming in fast." He took a fighting stance, and Gohan copied him. They stared with some apprehension at the three mysterious arrivals flying toward them—if they were enemies, the battle might turn ugly.

But Goku dropped his guard and beamed when the newcomers were close enough for him to recognize them. It was Krillen, Tien, and Chao-tsu.

"Nya-da-da-da!" Krillen sang out in a poor imitation of a bugle trill as the three of them dropped out of the sky. "Did somebody call for back-up?"

"Krillen! It's great to see you," Goku greeted him warmly, slapping his old friend on the back. "Hey, Tien. Hey, Chao-tsu," he added with a wave. "Thanks for coming."

"So what are we up against?" Tien asked with a scowl. "Is it the androids?"

"No," Goku answered, shaking his head. "I'm not sure _what_ it is, exactly. All we know is that it said it killed two children, and that it wants to kill us, too."

"That's terrible!" Chao-tsu burst out; the little fighter, despite being a veteran of many battles, had never seemed to lose his naivete.

"I know," Goku said grimly. "We have to stop it."

The other fighters nodded and released their latent energies, the white light billowing up around them and leaving glowing contrails as they leaped into the air together. As Goku and Gohan caught up to them, Goku offered a last bit of advice.

"Watch out for this one. It may not seem as powerful as we are, but it's tricky. Oh, and Vegeta's here, too, so you might want to stay out of his way."

"Good advice," Krillen stated with a lopsided smile. The water ahead of them exploded as Vegeta and Piccolo surfaced, sparring furiously at the creature, who seemed to slither around every punch. One of Vegeta's jabs connected solidly with the beast's chest, but no sooner had the blow been landed than the beast dove into the water again, forcing both of them to give chase.

Krillen went into action almost at once. Planting his booted feet firmly on the ground, he reached his right hand high and began to gather energy. White hot power hovered above his palm. With a grimace of concentration, he began to focus it into a razor-edged pancake. At the moment he finished forming it, the creature burst from the water again.

"Piccolo, Vegeta—watch out!" Krillen cried, before throwing his hand out and shouting, "Destructo Disc!"

Piccolo and Vegeta scattered to both sides as the deadly missile hurled forward. The brute's eyes widened in fear, and, as was its wont, it turned and fled. Krillen artfully maneuvered his disc of power to pursue the flying menace through the air. Just as the disc was about to make contact with the intended target, the creature whirled around and shot a pitifully small energy bolt of its own. A flash of light as the energies collided momentarily blinded everyone looking on. When they could see again, many mouths dropped open.

"I don't believe it! He caught the Destructo Disc!" Goku exclaimed. The beast was holding onto a lasso made of its own energy and struggling to pull the Disc into submission. The Z fighters were so stunned by this strange feat that when the creature lashed its "rope" outward and suddenly released Krillen's attack, not everyone reacted fast enough. It was Chao-tsu that got hit. His cry of pain penetrated their ears even over the deafening explosion of the out-of-control Destructo Disc detonating against a cliff.

"Chao-tsu!" Tien cried in anguish, rushing to his friend's side through the smoke. A stricken-looking Krillen followed. The clown-like little fighter had a deep slash across his chest that looked as though it had been mostly cauterized. Fluid oozed slowly from the wound, but Chao-tsu grinned bravely at them.

"Guess this puts me out of the running, huh?" he cracked with a shaky laugh.

"Chao-tsu. . ." Tien repeated in a miserable whisper. Goku landed next to them. "I'll take him to Kami's Lookout," he murmured, placing his hand against Chao-tsu's shoulder. "Don't worry, he'll be fine with them to look after him," he assured Tien. As they vanished, Tien rose to his feet slowly. His face was alight with fury, and he placed his hands into firing position with a mere two words.

"He'll pay." His eyes opened wide as he released glowing yellow power through the space in his hands. "Tri-Beam!"


	7. More Fallen Warriors

The snake-thing disappeared into the ensuing explosion with a shriek. Tien flew unhesitatingly into the smoke: his special third eye could track the enemy's energy signal even when his two normal eyes couldn't see. When he got close, he could make out the beast's body half-buried under fallen rock. Reaching out his hand, he dragged the thing that had hurt—maybe even killed—his comrade, out of the temporary trap by its neck.

"P-please, don't hurt me!" it begged desperately, struggling to breathe.

"You might have killed my friend!" Tien snarled, ruthlessly squeezing harder on the unfortunate's windpipe. "I'm making sure you won't hurt anyone else ever again."

"Per-haps . . . you would feel better . . ." the brute wheezed out, ". . .if you joined him." As it finished speaking, one of the severed tentacle stumps on its neck flopped weakly and coughed out a venomous green spray, which hit all three of Tien's eyes with perfect accuracy. The hapless fighter screamed in pain and stumbled away, releasing his grip on the creature. The snakelike being crouched low and raked its claws across Tien's torso, cutting his right side right down to the rib cage. Tien, still screaming at the horrible pain, fell to the mercilessly hard ground as his blood began to pool around him.

"Murderer!" The shout came from Piccolo, who emerged from the haze with a roar to confront the beast. With a smug smile, the creature put its blood-soaked claws into its mouth and sucked with relish. Piccolo swung furiously at him, only to find his opponent slither out of his way and drop gracefully into the lake below. Next to arrive was Goku.

"I just got back—what happened?" he demanded to know.

"Don't get comfortable," Piccolo growled. "You've got another one to take to the infirmary." Goku looked wildly around until he spotted Tien. "Oh—no!" he burst out, flying to the fighter's side. "Don't worry, Tien, I'm taking you somewhere safe." His words were reassuring, but his voice shook. Piccolo dove downward in pursuit of his quarry as the two of them disappeared. Krillen and Gohan already had it engaged in combat. The beast wasn't attacking at all, seeming to prefer to concentrate its energies on evading the both of them. Then, with a smooth coil, it wrapped its tail around Gohan's neck and held the boy in front of Krillen.

"Not one move," it hissed, cupping its hand against Gohan's chin and letting its claws just pierce the skin. Krillen froze in dismay.

"Unless you want me to slit his throat, back off slowly," the creature ordered. Krillen put his hands up in surrender and glided down and backward. His eyes moved slowly to meet Piccolo's, and he nodded a fraction of an inch. Piccolo disappeared and reappeared behind his opponent.

"Unless you want me to slit _your_ throat, you'll let him go," the Namekian muttered through gritted teeth, placing his first two fingers against the beast's neck like a knife. The creature let out a high-pitched growl of frustration and released its hold on the Saiyan boy. Krillen shot upward at once, stretching his hand out in a position to throw chi. Gohan, with a scowl of determination, did the same.

"Now, are you going to leave us, and this planet, in peace?" Piccolo growled. His nails grazed against the scaly purple throat, beginning to draw blood. "Or do you want us to end it here and now?"

The creature flinched and pulled vainly at Piccolo's grip. Its breathing quickened, but it wasn't long before it sagged in resignation.

"Do I get a third choice?" it queried sullenly.

"Stop stalling!" the Namekian barked.

"All right." Piccolo saw Gohan's eyes widen suddenly, as though the boy had noticed something that neither of his two companions had picked up. That was all the warning Piccolo had before he felt sharp teeth sink into his neck. He was then shoved backwards; the accursed alien must have used him as a springboard to attack the other two. Although his vision had become hazy with pain, his pointed ears picked up a sort of gagging sound from Krillen and Gohan's horrified shout of "No!"

Thinking fast, Piccolo allowed himself to plummet downward: he wouldn't be attacked again as long as the beast believed him to be mortally wounded. He shut his eyes tightly and concentrated on healing the wound before it really _could_ be considered life-threatening.


	8. Anger

"Piccolo!" Gohan screamed desperately. Smirking, the creature withdrew its claws from Krillen's stomach. Gohan reached out instinctively and caught his bald companion.

"You . . ." was all he managed to say to his snakelike enemy, his voice choked with anger. He yearned to avenge all the pain the beast had caused, but in the midst of his turmoil-ridden mind, his common sense prevailed. He had to get Krillen to the ground.

As he was descending with the limp fighter in his arms, Gohan saw his father reappear below.

"Daddy!" he half called, half sobbed. Goku looked up and froze with shock as soon as he saw his bleeding friend. "Not Krillen. . ." Gohan heard him whisper.

"Y-you've got to get him to the Lookout," he implored desperately, but his father didn't seem to be listening. His fists were clenched, his teeth gritted with fury; the air around him shimmered with heat as he powered up.

"Daddy!" Gohan shouted for the second time, holding Krillen protectively as wind whipped grit into the air around his father. "You have to go now! H-_hurry_!" Tears of helplessness spilled down his cheeks—Goku still wasn't hearing a word.

"Goku." Gohan jumped at the sound of his old mentor's voice. There was Piccolo—a completely healed Piccolo—standing next to Goku with his hand gripping the Saiyan's forearm.

"Listen to me," the Namekian continued in a commanding tone. Goku blinked and seemed to realize his surroundings once more.

"You have to take Krillen to the Lookout _now_. There's not much time." He met Goku's eyes, and the black-haired fighter nodded, his face set with purpose.

"And don't worry—I'll take care of Gohan," Piccolo promised. Goku gave him a grateful nod and took his old friend gently from Gohan's arms. Seconds later, the two of them were gone.

"Piccolo, will he die?" Gohan asked shakily.

"We need to concentrate on defeating our enemy," Piccolo growled, not answering Gohan's question. "That's the most important thing."

Vegeta landed next to them, scowling as usual. "If you continue fighting the way you've been up to now, you'll never win," he snapped. "The beast has outsmarted you at every turn. Half your fighters are already gone."

Gohan was conscious of Piccolo's voice raised angrily in reply, but his awareness was rapidly fading. Power was swelling inside him like an all-consuming fire, and he welcomed it. As his feet left the ground, the last thing he remembered was that his vision, blurred with rage, was fixed on the monster that had caused too much pain. He was about to put an end to that monster—once and for all.


	9. A New Task

"Kami!" Goku shouted at the top of his voice as soon as he materialized at the Lookout. The wrinkled green Namekian came hurrying over, his face tense with strain.

"Oh, my," he murmured. He took Krillen from Goku and cradled him gently. "I'll do as much as I can," he promised. Goku barely heard him.

"I'm going to kill the thing that did this to him," he vowed in an uncharacteristically vengeful tone. His fingers met his forehead to leave, but he paused as Mr. Popo stepped in front of him and raised a hand to stop his departure.

"Goku, there is something more important you must do," the monkey said gravely. Goku itched to be on his way, but the earnest appeal in Mr. Popo's eyes made him lower his hand.

"What is it?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.

Mr. Popo's gaze locked with his own. "We have no senzu beans."

"What?" Goku exclaimed.

"There will be no way to save your friends unless you can find more," Mr. Popo continued with utter solemnity. "You are the only one who can use Instant Transmission. Only you can bring help fast enough."

"But . . . but . . ." Goku sputtered, "but Korin has always kept the beans. Doesn't he have _any_ left?"

"Master Korin has exhausted his usual supply," the ape explained heavily. "And the trader who usually supplies Master Korin has none left to offer." He waited expectantly, seeming confident that Goku would come up with an idea. But Goku couldn't begin to know where to look for senzu beans. His mind raced. He could go to Korin's Tower, ask the cat where his supplier lived, travel to the supplier's home planet. . . even as he planned it out in his head, the solution sounded ridiculous. Assuming he managed to reach the distant planet—which would be a terrific feat in and of itself—where was the guarantee that there would be senzu beans there at all? And if there were beans there, would anyone be willing to give him a few? Not likely. He would have to trade for them and travel back to the Lookout. But there was no time—he needed a healing source _now_. And then it hit him.

"Dende!" he shouted. The little green Namekian had the ability to heal wounds almost instantly.

"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Popo asked, his eyebrows raised.

"I'll be back, Mr. Popo!" he promised, taking off at top speed. "I've got to go to Namek!"

The dumfounded monkey stood staring after him, murmuring in confusion, "Namek?"


	10. Vengeful Attack

Piccolo stared as Gohan shot upward like a cannonball, yellow energy leaving a contrail behind him.

"That's right," came Vegeta's mutter. "Keep him busy, kid." The sarcasm in his voice made it plain that he had no faith in Gohan's ability to beat the alien. Piccolo gritted his teeth and took off as well, not deigning to waste words on the spiteful Saiyan. It was petty ignorance on Vegeta's part, if he didn't think that Gohan could win. The boy's power was much greater than most people realized.

He could hear the hiss of air as Vegeta caught up with him. The Namekian coolly ignored him. Their alliance was temporary at best, and Piccolo was not about to get friendly with the villainous prince.

The creature's eyes bulged with disbelief as the three fighters rushed at it.

"I _killed_ you!" it screeched, pointing a shaky finger at Piccolo.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," the Namekian answered calmly. The creature continued to stare at him incredulously as he stripped off his weighted cape and turban and carelessly let them fall to the ground. It seemed to be waiting for him to keel over. Piccolo smirked—it would have a long time to wait.

"And you might want to keep an eye on your opposition," he added casually. Right on cue, Gohan slammed his fist into the beast's side, sending it careening through the air. Gohan gripped his forearm with one hand and held the other up high, fingers splayed.

"Masentko. . ." he shouted as brilliant yellow chi collected above his palm. He compressed it into a rough boomerang within seconds. Bringing his hand down with a shout, he shot it at the alien, who avoided the attack by smoothly curling its body out of the way. Gohan didn't seem daunted; the fact that his energy hadn't made contact with his enemy didn't even seem to have registered. His face remained frozen with an almost insane rage as he launched himself forward. Piccolo flanked him, flying neck and neck with his former pupil. Gohan had eyes for nothing but the creature. His fists shot out with crippling accuracy, landing blow after punishing blow on the purple scales. Piccolo joined the fight, but his sparring was merely busywork, a pretext to watch Gohan closely. The young half-Saiyan had been like this before. Piccolo knew from experience that when push came to shove, Gohan had a knack for pulling out all the stops in a most impressive display of power. But Piccolo also knew that the chi that almost exploded out of him at such moments wouldn't last long.

The beast upended itself and plummeted into the lake with a splash. Gohan followed him without hesitation, and Piccolo followed them both. He hardly noticed Vegeta come behind them and linger for a moment above the surface before plunging in as well.


	11. Out of Power

Goku hovered in the highest reaches of Earth's atmosphere, as close as he could get to outer space while still having air to breathe. His first two fingers were pressed to his head, ready to leave. All that was left now was to locate his destination. His mind was straining as he willed himself to find a single planet among thousands, that one place in the universe that he desperately needed to get to. He could only hope that it was relatively close to Earth—he wasn't sure if he could ever zero in on a world hundreds of light-years away.

"Come on, Dende, where are you?" he called under his breath. His eyes slid shut as he forced himself to be calm, focused. And, like a light blazing suddenly to life in a darkened room, he detected the place he was looking for. "Here I come!" he cried gleefully, and vanished.

* * *

><p>The underwater battle was evenly matched. Although Gohan fought with unrelenting ferociousness, and Piccolo summoned all his remarkable fighting prowess, the beast slithered easily around each of their blows. Teeth gritted in frustration, Piccolo wished that they could head for the surface. He knew that he and Gohan were clumsy here, while the creature was right at home. But Gohan was like a magnet: wherever his enemy was, he was determined to also be. And Piccolo, in the same way, was intent on remaining near Gohan and fulfilling his promise to Goku to take care of the little warrior.<p>

The aura of yellow power around Gohan, which for the last few minutes had been lighting up the ugly expression on his face, flickered wildly. Piccolo understood the sudden lapse in chi: Gohan needed to breathe. For a crucial second, he took his eyes off his opponent to glance solicitously at his charge. Gohan seemed to be deflating like a balloon, his energy spent, his eyelids drooping. Then his energy aura vanished, and the lake was plunged into darkness.

Piccolo felt a powerful rope of flesh close around his neck. The next thing he knew, he was being slammed repeatedly into sand, mud, rock, and every other available surface. His breath rushed out in soundless cries of pain, and his need for air began to weaken him. He jerked with all his flagging strength to free himself. To his surprise, the stranglehold loosened, and he pulled free. A tiny pinprick of light appeared, revealing to Piccolo that it was the beast's tail that had been restraining him. Squinting, he made out Vegeta, who was holding a tiny sparkle of energy in one hand and engaging the creature in battle with the other. Nearby, Gohan was sinking to the bottom in a state of unconsciousness. Piccolo made a dive for the boy and, grabbing him by the collar, kicked for the surface.

They burst out into the sunlight as Piccolo gasped for breath. He hooked one arm over the bank and heaved himself out, dragging Gohan's limp form after him. Quickly he laid the boy flat on his back and pinched his nose shut. Pressing his mouth to Gohan's, he exhaled life-giving air into the half-Saiyan's lungs, once, twice.

"Come on, kid," he muttered. "Don't quit on me now."


	12. Healing

Goku appeared on the new planet Namek with a brief, whining hiss. The trees, with stick-like trunks topped by bushy crowns of leaves, adorned the rather barren landscape. Beneath his feet, patches of sand were interspersed with turquoise grass that shimmered by the light of more than one sun. The spherical white houses around him resembled igloos. Namekian children stared at him from wide eyes.

"Dende," he said abruptly. "Please, I have to speak to Dende. Where is he?" The children just continued to stare at him with mixed fear and wonder.

"_Please_," Goku implored them in desperation. Seeming jarred out of their trance by the intense emotion in his voice, a few of them ran to a nearby dwelling and slipped inside. Moments later, they returned, leading a wise-looking old Namekian.

"I am Elder Moori." The adult's tone, although guarded, was not unpleasant. "These young ones say you came out of nowhere. What do you want with us, strange traveler?"

"I need to speak to Dende," Goku said tensely. "I met him during the battle against Frieza, and I wanted—"

"'The battle against Frieza'?" Moori repeated in astonishment. "Why, then you must be Goku!" Immediately the shock on his face was replaced with a delighted smile. He bowed low and declared with great feeling, "I am deeply honored to meet the one who saved our race from certain annihilation."

"That's very kind of you," Goku spoke in a rush, "but I need Dende's help. There was a battle on Earth, and my friends were hurt—"

"Say no more," the Elder cut him off warmly. His voice rose in a loud command. "Dende! Come here; there is a man who needs your help!"

A young Namekian came running almost immediately. His face lit up when he saw them.

"Goku! What are you doing here?"

"Goku needs your help," Elder Moori explained placidly. "I believe he wants you to use your healing abilities to assist his friends."

"Of course—I'll be glad to help!" Dende replied enthusiastically.

"I'll need to use Instant Transmission to transport us to Earth," Goku told him, taking the little Namekian by the hand. He glanced at the Elder anxiously. "That's all right, isn't it? I promise he'll be safe with me."

Elder Moori smiled. "I know he will." Goku said a hurried "thank you" and pressed two fingers to his forehead. An instant later, they were gone.

When they appeared on the Lookout, Kami's eyes bulged at the sight of a fellow Namekian.

"G-Goku! What is going—?"

"No time to explain, Kami!" Goku called. He was already running into the stately building, dragging Dende by the hand. Into a corridor they sprinted, Dende barely managing to keep up. The fourth door on the right was their destination.

"Here—the infirmary," Goku panted, releasing his hold on Dende. The young Namekian rushed toward the beds, checking on the patients with a businesslike air of someone much older than himself.

"I'll do the best I can," he promised, before adding in a murmur, "I just hope I'm not too late." He stretched out his hands over Chao-tsu, but the little warrior's eyelids slowly opened and he whispered,

"Do Tien first." Dende, aware of the necessary haste, merely gave a grave nod and turned to the bed on his other side. He placed his hands gingerly on Tien's chest and shut his eyes. A soft yellow light traveled from his fingers to surround the warrior's body. Tien gave a groan of relief as his wound finally closed. He sat up in confusion while the light died away.

"Where am I?" He stared in bemusement at Dende, who was already turning to attend to Chao-tsu. The golden glow lit the bed, and Chao-tsu was soon completely healed. Finally, Dende hurried over to the bed against the wall, from which came the sounds of Krillen's shallow, labored breathing. Goku stood next to it, staring intently at his friend as though he could keep him alive with his gaze. Dende bent over him. There was not a sound in the room as the light washed over Krillen's prone form. Then, his breathing became suddenly relaxed, and he opened his eyes.

"Dende?" He pushed himself up. "Wow, guess today was my lucky day." Goku laughed

joyfully and hugged his old schoolmate. "Hey, take it easy!" Krillen complained. "You're gonna put me back in the hospital with that bear hug of yours!"

Dende approached Trunks with the apparent intention of healing him, too, but the teenager grinned and waved him away.

"Don't waste your energy on me. I'm just here for bed rest."

"I still don't understand," Tien declared in bewilderment. "Did somebody shrink Kami?" His question sent Krillen and Goku into peals of laughter.


	13. The Advantage

Piccolo's impromptu artificial respiration had worked—Gohan coughed, spat out a mouthful of water, and opened his eyes. Although his gaze was dazedly out-of-focus, his question was down-to-earth.

"Where's the alien?" he mumbled. As if in answer to his question, the lake exploded in a magnificent splash. Vegeta appeared, still locked in combat but rapidly being pushed back by his foe. Piccolo noticed that, although the fingers of his left hand were clenched into a fist, the arm itself was out of use. The beast had scored a series of slashes across his shoulder; as a result, the Saiyan was still fighting one-handed. And it was putting him at a decided disadvantage.

With a triumphant leer, the creature brought its tail arcing up to slam down on Vegeta's head. The warrior went to his knees with a grunt of pain. The beast repeated the same attack, whipping its tail down a second, third, fourth time, all the while driving Vegeta lower. At last, when the Saiyan had crumpled into a ball, huddling on the dirt on his elbows and knees, the alien delivered the _coup de grace_. With sickening flair, it kicked Vegeta savagely in his wounded shoulder. The unfortunate prince flew through the air and crashed limply to the ground near Gohan.

"Think you've won the battle, do you?" Vegeta asked, pushing himself painfully up to stand bravely, albeit unsteadily, before his enemy. The fish-like lips curled in a smirk.

"Won it? I've ended it! Not one of you has the strength to stop me."

"Are you so sure of that?" Vegeta asked. His left hand opened to reveal the minuscule twinkle of energy that Piccolo had seen earlier. The creature let out a screech of laughter.

"You think that speck of dust will stop me?" it cackled. Piccolo couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity for the brave warrior. Vegeta certainly looked pathetic: besides being covered with scores of smudges, scratches, and bruises, he seemed to be channeling all his strength into simply remaining on his feet. His wounded arm was held painfully aloft, blood dripping freely from the shoulder, hand pointing squarely at the beast. And the only attack he could offer was an energy ball almost too small for the eye to see. As Vegeta directed his sparkle of chi to hover—agonizingly slowly—over to the alien, it only laughed harder.

"Yes, yes—throw it at me!" the being urged, still gasping for breath between fits of giggling. "Watch me tremble before your mighty blow!" Finally, as its mirth subsided, it added nastily, "Go ahead, hit me with all you've got—if that's the best you've got." The tiny globule of energy moved haltingly forward until it touched the brute's chest—and vanished from view.

"W-what happened?" Gohan asked in confusion as, in the same moment, the alien's face froze in an expression of pain and terror. Piccolo, his eyes narrowing, could just make out a minute hole in the creature's chest. The energy had gone _inside_ the beast without detonating. "Did you really think you had beaten me into submission?" Vegeta asked sneeringly. Although still battered and bleeding, the Saiyan seemed to stand with new energy, his outstretched hand still trained on his opponent. "I _let_ you take the upper hand. You fell right into my trap."

"H-h-how?" the creature choked out, fixing its eyes, which were beginning to glaze, on its attacker.

"I waited until the kid's power had gone off the charts, and then I gathered my energy and began to compress it," Vegeta answered. He seemed to be enjoying himself, dragging out his enemy's pain while outlining the details of his plan. "The energy coming from the kid masked my own, and you were so busy fighting him that you never noticed what I was doing."

"I h-had you . . . on the run. . ." the beast protested. Its eyes were slits of malice, but it was already beginning to collapse to its knees.

"Fool!" Vegeta said mockingly. "You played right into my hands. The gash in my shoulder allowed me to hide the energy in my hand and fight one-handed without getting you suspicious. Letting myself get attacked by you was a perfect ruse to trick you into thinking that I had no strength left—not even enough to form a decent chi blast."

Vegeta, his head tilted arrogantly, a sneer of triumph on his face, faced the alien, who knelt trembling in abject terror, aware that it was at the mercy of its enemy. Gohan was staring at the Saiyan in wonderment, and even Piccolo beheld him with a new respect. The brilliance of his plan, the cleverness of his bluff, were beyond reproach.

"C-curse you to oblivion!" the creature snarled. Vegeta shot it a feral grin.

"I've had enough of your filthy presence." The beast's eyes widened in horror as Vegeta's open hand closed to a fist.

"Say hello to oblivion for me," the Saiyan hissed. And, with shocking suddenness, the energy that had resided motionlessly inside the alien exploded with a roar. Piccolo instinctively dived onto his stomach and grabbed Gohan, shielding the boy from the powerful wind that drove dust and fragments of rock before it. The light was blinding, the boom deafening.


	14. Victory

All around the infirmary, heads snapped up in shock at the presence of an enormous amount of chi that had seemed to come out of nowhere. Goku stepped quickly away from the others into the center of the room.

"The battle! I almost forgot." Angry with himself for neglecting his fellow fighters when they needed him, he placed his fingers into position. He must not waste any more time.

"Hold on, Goku!" Krillen called, hopping out of bed and hurrying over to him. "I'm coming, too."

"Krillen, you can't—" Goku began to protest, but his friend interrupted him.

"Don't worry about me; I'm as good as new now, thanks to Dende." The bald little warrior flashed a grateful smile at the young Namekian.

"We're going with you," Tien announced, stepping up to them with Chao-tsu behind him. "And don't try to talk us out of it," he added firmly. "We've already been out of the running for too long. They need us down there." Goku nodded in resigned agreement.

"All right, then—but Trunks stays here," he ordered, determined to get his way at least in part. The teenage Saiyan grinned wryly from his bed.

"Don't worry about me, Goku. I'm not going anywhere." The words had barely left his mouth when the four fighters vanished from view.

* * *

><p>The enormous sphere of light was fading as the power diffused into the atmosphere. As the wind died down, Gohan felt the protective grip of Piccolo slacken and release him. He stared in awe at the colossal gouge which had been branded into the rocky ground.<p>

"Gosh . . ." was all he could think of to say. Piccolo was more direct.

"Is it dead?" he asked bluntly. Gohan watched as his former mentor raked his eyes back and forth, scanning for an energy signal that would mean their enemy still lived.

"Don't waste your time," Vegeta advised him with a scowl. "It didn't survive."

At that moment, a collection of warriors appeared with a _shik_. Gohan's face lit up when he saw them.

"Daddy—and Tien and Chao-tsu! And _Krillen_! You're all okay!" He raced over to them and threw his arms around Krillen, who laughed and ruffled his black hair.

"Yep. I made a speedy recovery once Dende showed up."

"What happened?" Goku demanded to know, his face strained with anxiety. "We felt the energy surge all the way from the Lookout. Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine," Piccolo informed him tersely. He had abandoned his search for the creature and was picking up his cape and turban.

"So, what happened?" Goku repeated in obvious confusion. It was Vegeta who answered his question.

"The alien is dead," he replied bluntly. His statement was met with gasps of shock and exclamations of surprise.

"My energy blast finished it off," Vegeta continued in a smug tone. "The idiot didn't see the attack coming until it was too late." He shot Gohan an appraising glance and added unexpectedly, "The kid's power was the perfect distraction. _He's_ the only one of you who's not completely worthless in a fight."

Goku stepped toward him. "Thank you, Vegeta," he said seriously. "Earth owes you a great debt for what you did today." The Saiyan prince blinked in disbelief before letting out a harsh bark of laughter.

"Ha! You think I did it for this pathetic planet?" he scoffed. "I wanted to experience the thrill of battle again; that's all. And I was getting tired of looking at its ugly face." He clenched his fists and powered up in a burst of white light. "We'll meet again soon, Kacarot," he growled in an undertone. Then he took off and vanished beyond the horizon within seconds.


	15. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

Coil upon sinuous coil, the Eternal Dragon hovered in the darkened sky.

"What is your wish?" he rumbled. Standing far below next to Piccolo, Trunks, and Gohan, Goku confidently replied in a raised voice,

"We wish back to life the two children that died in Sapphire Lake a month ago!" Without a word, the dragon bent its head majestically. His ruby eyes glowed momentarily with light. Then, out of nowhere, two young boys appeared. They had similar faces and the same hay-colored hair, and wore twin expressions of stupefaction as they beheld the Eternal Dragon.

"Your wish is granted." The Dragon's voice, rolling out of his chest in an ever-swelling sound, was a fitting complement to such a breathtaking being. Then came a last, thundering "Farewell." A dazzling light engulfed the Eternal Dragon, and he vanished. The Dragonballs rose in a perfect circle and hovered tantalizingly for a moment before shooting outward, disappearing from sight as they flew to the far corners of the earth to be scattered once again. Finally, the black clouds vanished and the sun shone as before.

"W-we were in the Other World!" the younger of the boys exclaimed. He glanced at his brother uncertainly. "Now we're back?"

Goku placed an arm on each boy's shoulder. "That's right," he answered. "Now I'll take you home. Hold on!" He wrapped his arms about their waists and leaped into the air, grinning at the boys' cries of awe.

Gohan stood watching as his father picked up speed under the urgings of "Faster!" from the brothers. The young Saiyan raised his hand and waved, a carefree grin on his face. Although he knew that the threat of the androids was not far off, he couldn't push down his optimism. They had won the battle; the pain caused by the alien had now been rectified; Earth was safe once more; and, for the moment, Gohan was going to savor their victory.

` The End `

**A/N: Whew! That was a lotta posting. Again, read and review, please! That is, if you made it this far.**


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